


All the Kids Cried Out, ''Please Stop You're Scaring Me''

by Breakingthetide



Series: Our Love Would Be Tragic [13]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Grant Ward Redemption, Wanda Maximoff Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 04:47:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29147703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Breakingthetide/pseuds/Breakingthetide
Summary: “What is grief, if not love persevering?”-Vision, WandaVision-Quake and Grant Ward are called into Westview to help Wanda Maximoff come back to reality, and to defend her against any outside threats.
Relationships: Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons, Skye | Daisy Johnson/Grant Ward, Wanda Maximoff/Vision
Series: Our Love Would Be Tragic [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/502141
Comments: 6
Kudos: 35





	All the Kids Cried Out, ''Please Stop You're Scaring Me''

**Author's Note:**

> As to clear up any future confusion- 
> 
> Shield and SWORD work together, Skye is the Director of Shield.
> 
> She and Ward have been married for years and he redeemed himself after the Hydra thing.
> 
> I hated Endgame and changed a few things, Clint Barton died instead of Natasha Romanoff, the Avengers defeated Thanos together instead of Tony Stark sacrificing himself, but Steve Rogers' ending was still the same though.
> 
> And while this is apart of my Skyeward Avengers AU, but you don't need to read any of that to know what's going on here.
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting!

People disappear all the time. They take one look at their life and decide it no longer suits them, they hate putting their feet in the same shoes, hate filling their morning coffee in the same mug and looking out the same window at the exact same view every single day. They grow tired of driving their car to their gray and soulless jobs, of telling the same jokes at the water cooler and watching their boss harass the young receptionist again.

So they hop a train or a bus one cool summer evening and are never seen again, people mourn over their empty caskets and wonder if they’re really gone or out there somewhere smoking cigarettes on a beach with a tequila filled coconut in hand. Or sometimes young men and women who adore the air in their lungs and walking barefoot in the woods at night, the dirt soft underneath their toes, are robbed of their much earned chance to live, to enjoy warm beer in paper bags or the laugh of their future children.

Their disappearances are bloody and cruel, a knife to the spine of those who love them and are left with all-consuming grief as black as the midnight sky. Some souls disappear willingly, others are snatched from warm beds or dark parking lots never to be seen again, and everyone who knew them light candles in the middle of the night praying to a god that may or may not be real to bring them home. But sometimes the prayers are never answered, and they are left with one burning question.

What happened?

Missing humans with vacant untied shoes or half eaten lunches are no stranger to Shield, or the world for that matter, not after Thanos when he destroyed half the universe, people were there and then suddenly they weren’t. Soup was left still steaming on tables, sinks were still running as a tooth brush hit the floor, the hot water of showers long turned cold when it was clear they were never coming back. Then suddenly years later everyone who was missing, who put a hole in their own lives, returned.

It was a mad house full of chaos and tears, ripped missing posters and freshly mowed lawns again as the Avengers brought everyone back and destroyed the Mad Titan who took so much from the planet. It’s still a confusing time that therapists are having a field day with, but it’s getting better by the day. Favorite customers are back in loved coffee shops, bookstores are filled with dreamers and poets again, music and warmth has come back into the world, hope is rising with the sun each morning.

So yes people disappear, but sometimes, by some miracle of a god or an Avenger, they come back.

A pale granite colored office with empty monitors and a locked computer, stacks of files on a large desk with no personal pictures in sight. Skye sits in the warm leather office chair that smells of tobacco and peppermint, her feet hitched up on the busy yet organized desk, and nudges the mouse of the computer with the tip of her boot. The screen flickers to life and she snorts and the wallpaper, black with a gray logo across it; SWORD in bold capital letters, an actual sword sharpened through the words.

Not that she has room to talk because her organization has a giant ugly eagle plastered across every surface, but unfortunately she wasn’t alive when the design for Shield was put in place. She could easily hack into this computer with her phone but is feeling nostalgic today and presses her fingers into the keyboard, it’s not as nice as hers but that’s because Tony Stark is involved with Shield and not SWORD, much to their Director’s annoyance.

Skye has already done research on this organization and has access to their fresh files, there’s technically no need to hack into the Director’s personal computer, but in her experience dealing with spies and other shady characters, everyone is always hiding something. It only takes a few seconds to sort through everything, she already knows all the projects SWORD is involved in so the ops on this computer are not a surprise.

Sipping a cooling cup of coffee and growing impatient, Skye is not one to wait on anyone, she twirls the rings on her left hand and thinks about where she was just a couple hours ago. Lounging in soft warm sand, the ocean at her feet, a salt and sugar margarita in hand, strong arms wrapped around her waist. Hoping this isn’t some dire emergency so she can get back to that beach, Skye brings up a new message in the Avengers group chat just as the door opens.

Director Tyler Hayward steps into his office and does not frown at the woman at his desk even though he should, but he’s not a moron, Quake can get away with anything because she’s an Avenger, the Director of Shield, and the most powerful Inhuman and person in a room. They lock gazes and there’s always that bit of darkness that bunches around the crinkle of her eyes, unknown horrors she’ll never be able to forget completely, even if she’s happy or distracted.

The Directors of Shield and SWORD have met several times and have become friends since the President decided to create a second organization to help with other worldly threats, he thought it’d be a good idea after Thanos, and while Hayward agrees, Skye does not. She has made that very clear with multiple arguments in the Oval Office with President Asher who did not back down from his stance, even though he and mostly everyone else are very intimidated by Quake.

Skye removes her boots from the shiny oak desk, ‘’Tyler’’.

‘’Quake’’.

‘’I was drinking tequila naked on a beach just two hours ago, there better be a good reason for your call’’.

Hayward is older and deliciously handsome, and in Skye’s opinion should not be Director, that position belonged to someone else but she was unfortunately not available at the time.

He sits in the chair opposite of her and sighs, ‘’the FBI is in a tizzy over a missing person’s case up in Jersey’’.

‘’Do I look like I get involved with random disappearances in Jersey? Thousands of people are still missing after the Blip, why should I be concerned with one person?’’

‘’I know, but they have requested use of one of our imaging drones and since Shield’s are better than mine’’.

Skye winks, ‘’everything at Shield is better than SWORD’s’’.

‘’I’ll thank Mr. Stark for it later, but they also requested both of us to chaperone as well, I’ve called in my best people and you can do the same’’.

‘’All of this over one missing person? It better be Jesus Christ himself’’.

‘’I was thinking the same thing’’.

Skye pulls out her phone and sends a group message to Lincoln Campbell, Jemma Simmons and Leo Fitz with info about what’s going on and to meet her at the coordinates Hayward gives her.

‘’I’ll meet you there’’.

She gets up and is headed for the door when Tyler comments, ‘’we could ride together’’.

‘’Ew. I have to make a pit stop anyway’’.

‘’Alright, meet you there’’.

Quake leaves the SWORD building and sends a message to her husband that she’s picking him up for a job.

Here are the essentials for road trips; chocolate, chips, beef jerky, gum, sweet iced pastries, water, Gatorade and Red Bull. Skye strolls through the gas station aisles hands full, all she needs is the case of energy drinks, when out of habit her eyes sweep the small store. The clerk at the register is watching her out of the corner of his eye, like she’s three seconds away from losing her shit and turning this place to rubble, or going to steal the thirty dollars’ worth of merchandise in her arms.

By the coffee station there’s a young couple doctoring each other’s drinks with coconut creamer and artificial sweeteners, an older woman is purchasing a lottery ticket and a pack of cigarettes, everything seems calm and clear. Shoving the paranoia aside, Skye yanks open the fridge and grabs the Red Bull, balances all the snacks atop the box and heads to the register. Even with sunglasses and the baseball cap on, everyone knows even without seeing her face clearly she’s dangerous.

The clerk is young and smells like beer, but he rings her up without snarky comments or sneaking pictures of her with his phone, two plastic bags in hand Skye exits the building and walks to where her car is parked towards the back, where Tall Dark and Handsome is filling up the SUV and waiting for her. Grant Ward takes off those stupid aviator sunglasses and smiles as she approaches, takes the bags out of her hands and puts them in the back seat, his leather jacket gleaming in the winter sun.

‘’This is a mission, not a picnic’’.

He comments as she sits in the passenger side and he leans into the open driver’s side window.

‘’The FBI is probably freaking out and wasting our time over nothing, I swear if we find whoever this asshole is in five minutes and we left our vacation for nothing’’-

Skye cuts herself off and sighs, ‘’we could be having sex on the beach right now’’.

Grant leans across the space and brushes his fingers down her cheek, ‘’we’ll get back there eventually’’.

The gas pump stops and he goes to take it out while Skye opens a bag of his favorite chips, ‘’you know what would make me feel better?’’

He sits down and starts the car, locks it and smiles when she hands him the chips, ‘’if you pull over for a quickie, a quickie would definitely improve my mood’’.

Dressed in a dark suit with a white shirt and green tie, her husband looks just as sexy as he did writhing in stark white sheets last night.

Laughing he kisses her forehead, ‘’I’ll see what I can do’’.

They exit off the highway into Westview, Skye on her third energy drink with an arm out the open window, the ice winter breeze wrapping around her nose, when the small Jersey town comes into view with two cops and an FBI agent waiting for them. Quake gets out first followed by Ward as the FBI agent steps up and introduces himself. 

‘’James E. Woo, FBI, and you must be Quake’’.

She nods, gestures to Grant, ‘’my partner Ward’’.

‘’Nice to meet you Director, Agent Ward’’.

Her husband’s scowl is nearly undetectable, ‘’not an agent’’.

‘’Oh my apologies I thought’’-

‘’You can call me Skye, what’s the story here Agent Woo?’’

‘’I’ve got a witness set up down the road in Westview and this morning it looked like he flew the coop’’.

‘’Your missing person is in the Witness Protection Program?’’

‘’I have contacted known associates, relatives’’.

‘’And let me guess none of them have seen him either?’’

‘’No, none of them have ever heard of him’’.

Skye and Ward share a puzzled look.

‘’Something seemed hanky to me so I took the first flight out of Oakland to interface with local law enforcement, which is when I encountered a new wrinkle’’.

Ward asks, ‘’what is that?’’

Woo gestures to the officers on the town line who keep giving Skye dirty looks.

‘’Pardon me Sherriff, would you mind repeating your claim about Westview to my colleagues here?’’

The Sherriff turns his nose up at Skye, ‘’not if she’s involved’’.

Skye is no stranger to people hating Inhumans, she’s been dealing with it since she was eighteen years old, and since she’s become Director it’s gotten better, but every so now and then she’ll run into an asshole like this one.

‘’She’s strong enough to break your bones without barely lifting a finger, I suggest showing some respect’’.

Ward says softly and Woo is quick to defuse the tension, ‘’please, we really need to hear it again’’.

The cops take in her leather jacket and dark jeans, Ward’s suit and sighs, ‘’no such place as Westview’’.

Skye and Ward both look at the green sign behind them that clearly reads, _Westview._

‘’Do you idiots not see’’-

Ward taps his shoe to her boot, a silent plea to not make the situation worse, she switches tactics.

‘’You’re saying the town of Westview New Jersey doesn’t exist?’’

‘’That’s what I keep telling your G-man here but he won’t listen’’.

Grant is next to respond, ‘’I see, and what town are you from?’’

‘’Eastview’’.

‘’Thank you Sherriff, we’ll reach out if we need any further assistance’’.

The trio walks off while Skye shoots them the finger over her shoulder.

Woo comments, ‘’I pulled phone numbers for all the residents I’m only through the D’s but so far I got diddly squat’’.

Skye looks out at the expanse of field before them as SUV’s both with Shield and SWORD begin to arrive.

‘’I’ll need my laptop and somewhere to work, so you can’t reach anyone inside and everyone outside has some sort of selective amnesia?’’

‘’This isn’t a missing person’s case Quake, it’s a missing town’’.

‘’Why haven’t you gone inside to investigate?’’

‘’Because it doesn’t want me to, you can feel it too can’t you? Nobody’s supposed to go in’’.

Skye looks to Ward, ‘’you ever experienced anything like this?’’

In his time at Shield Grant saw some insane shitty things, a missing town wouldn’t even graze the top of his list.

‘’Never’’.

She sighs and pulls out a bag of jerky, ‘’looks like we won’t be going back to the beach soon’’.

After a failed attempt with one of Stark Tech’s drones Shield and SWORD have set up camp around the town of Westview as Skye and Hayward’s agents come in. Fitzsimmons and Lincoln are in the main tent with Skye and Ward, while Hayward is gathering his people to meet them in here, Jemma is setting up several computers chatting with Fitz, while Lincoln sits spins in an office chair waiting on orders, and Skye can’t help but feel restless.

There’s a foreign energy swimming in her veins, something powerful stained in red demanding her attention with whispered lies and a smooth promise that everything is alright, even if it’s not. The vibrations in the air are shrinking back both against her presence and whatever the hell is happening in that town, it’s heavy bathed in darkness and some kind of grief, something that in the end could be too powerful even for her. 

Seated at a desk with two laptops, an energy drink and a blank monitor, Skye tries and fails numerous times to see if she can hack into Westview somehow, but either the technology there is too old, or there’s nothing to hack into at all. A headache is starting to form when strong hands begin rubbing her shoulders. Skye leans her head back into Ward’s chest as he kisses her temple and murmurs soothingly that everything is going to be okay.

It’s that careful reassurance that they fought long and hard to guarantee, that calms her aching head and heavy hands, she knows no matter what happens here or anywhere that Ward is always going to be at her side no matter what, she could kill every single person here and he wouldn’t leave, it wouldn’t scare him away, and he’d help her bury the bodies and drive the getaway car. ‘’I may have to call Tony for this one’’. Her father figure taught her mostly everything she knows about hacking, if she can’t get in he can.

The flaps to the tent open suddenly letting in a cool rush of ice air and in walks Hayward, a SWORD agent she recognizes as Monica Rambeau, Agent Woo, and someone Skye didn’t think she’d ever see again. Darcy Lewis looks the same as the last time Skye saw her, on a bench in Coney Island laughing with smudged red lipstick as Skye’s arms wound around her waist, the day hot with summer heat. Their skin sticky with sweat and sugar but her lips were cold from lemonade as she pressed them to Skye’s.

Their brief fling ended shortly after through mutual agreement via email, Darcy went on to further her education and Skye continued to lose herself in the destruction she caused until she met Ward. Hayward makes the introductions and as Monica holds out her hand, Skye smiles, thinking of the mutual friend they have.

‘’Captain Danvers misses you’’.

Rambeau’s eyes are wide when she asks, ‘’you know my aunt Carol?’’

‘’She mentioned you once’’.

On a battlefield full of blood as they fought against Thanos side by side.

Recovering quickly Monica shakes her hand, ‘’it’s nice to finally meet you Quake’’.

‘’Likewise, you’d make a far better Director than that asshole’’.

The SWORD agents freeze but Tyler just laughs, ‘’you’re not wrong’’.

Darcy is up next as Hayward introduces her, and both women are quick to correct him, ‘’Doctor Lewis’’.

Bright eyes meet Skye’s and a private smile stretches across her red lips, ‘’should I call you Director now?’’

‘’God no’’.

They hug and cling for a moment, remembering a different time when they were different people and the world didn’t seem quite so dark. Darcy has always reminded Skye of quiet rainy afternoons and warm bed sheets, she’s a wonderful person who deserves all the happiness life has to offer. Grant, sensing the history between the two gives Skye a curious look that only she can read, and she promises wordlessly to explain later, he knows about her past and preferences and has never judged her for it, accepts her without question.

Breaking apart and telling her agents to get Darcy whatever the hell she needs, Skye introduces Ward, Fitzsimmons and Lincoln, should SWORD have any questions or concerns to address them first before coming to find her. Skye has just finished speaking when an agent from the back catches both her and Ward’s eye as he takes a step past Woo in her direction, his dark eyes narrowed, body language tense and unwelcoming.

‘’So there she is, Quake, the Destroyer of Worlds’’.

It’s both a habit and also unnecessary as Ward inches closer to her, knowing she can take care of herself but would still rather be a buffer between her and danger.

The way the man says this makes it obvious he is not dazzled by her like others are.

She’s quick to respond, stretching like a cat caught in a sunray at the promise of a fight.

‘’The one and only’’.

‘’Is it true what they say, how powerful you are?’’

Everyone is this room has either seen footage of her in a fight or experienced it firsthand, she’s just as world famous as Tony Stark, if not more.

It’s Lincoln who replies, ‘’yes, and if you’re not careful she just might show you’’.

Another SWORD agent next to him glances at her husband, ‘’wait, you said Grant Ward? Why does that name sound familiar?’’

There’s a reason Ward rarely gets involved with government relations, mainly because he loathes any government agency, but also because his name, especially with secret organizations is still remembered.

Simmons speaks up, ‘’perhaps you heard it in a briefing?’’

Both she and Fitz give him supportive looks, the bad blood between the three all dried and put away, a glowing friendship in its wake.

‘’He’s married to Quake, maybe you heard it in relation to her’’.

It’s obvious that Grant’s name did not come up in either of those options, this asshole clearly remembers his betrayal with Shield.

‘’You’re Hydra’’.

Not only does Skye’s personal history with Hydra add to the sharp sting of it’s name, but it’s also not true when speaking of her husband, nothing about what he did while with Hydra was any fault of his own.

‘’No he’s not’’.

Someone else speaks up, ‘’yeah I remember that senator talking about you on television once’’.

If Skye could kill Senator Christian Ward she would, for multiple reasons.

‘’Why the hell is a Hydra agent here?’’

The atmosphere grows tense, something Skye always takes into account when she and Ward go out into the field.

But normally she’s the one who causes problems, not him.

‘’Who the hell do you think you are’’-

Quake’s words are cut off when the agent makes a grab for his gun and she holds out a hand, cocks her head, ‘’try it, see what happens’’.

He immediately backs off, leaving the present Shield agents and Ward defensive.

‘’Agent White and Roberts I believe you two are needed outside’’.

Hayward says, a bite in his tone, and the agents give her and Grant one last glare before walking out.

They’re passing Woo when Skye snarls, ‘’you two pull that shit again and I’ll kill you’’.

Skye doesn’t have to flex her muscles or powers to make people listen or respect her, it comes naturally with the reputation.

Grant whispers silently once they’re gone, ‘’you don’t have to cause drama over me’’.

She turns and taps his cheek lovingly, ‘’yeah I do’’.

Hayward apologizes on the agents’ behalf and promises it won’t happen again.

Quake glances over at all the SWORD agents surrounding him, ‘’it better not, anyone else have a problem with my husband?’’

Everyone shakes their heads and Skye moves on, ‘’good’’.

Darcy, Fitzsimmons and Lincoln start setting up equipment, Skye walks up to her former lover as she says, ‘’still scaring the shit out of people I see’’.

‘’It’s a talent’’.

Quake helps her lift a heavy box as Lewis asks, ‘’how have you been? Congratulations by the way’’.

‘’Good, thanks, you?’’

‘’Killing it in my field, becoming one of the top Astrophysicists in the country’’.

‘’Always knew you would’’.

Darcy gives her another small smile, ‘’just like I knew you’d go on to do amazing things and become a hero’’.

‘’Ew, stop’’.

Skye has never seen herself as a hero, not like some of the other Avengers or Phil Coulson does.

‘’I’m glad you’re here Darc’’.

‘’Me too, hopefully between me and all these other geniuses we can figure out what’s going on’’.

‘’That’s the idea, keep me posted’’.

‘’You got it’’.

When Ward turns to talk to Lincoln, Darcy gives Skye a thumbs up, to which she rolls her eyes at.

‘’Is there somewhere a lady could get a cup of coffee? You guys look like you might get down with those little pod things’’.

That’s another quality Skye has always loved about Darcy, she’s able to have a sense of humor even in the worst situation.

When none of the SWORD agents respond Quake raises her voice, ‘’I know you assholes heard her, someone get her a cup of coffee right now or so help me god’’-

Three agents race out of the tent leaving Skye to wink at Darcy.

A few hours later Skye is at a desk behind Darcy, Fitzsimmons and Lincoln, Ward sitting next to her, when Simmons and Lewis demand for a TV, an older one and Fitz rushes to find one, brings it in from the pouring rain. Once it’s all set up Darcy plays around with a few machines to further connect to Westview, and suddenly the small TV flickers to life in a swirl of black and white, Woo rushing to look over her shoulder, Skye and the rest of Shield doing the same.

A familiar voice comes through the image causing both Skye and Ward to freeze, ‘’who are those people?’’

And another that Skye has not heard in years, ‘’what are you wearing?’’

Looking at the tiny screen reveals the Scarlet Witch and Vision, the latter of which has been dead for a long time.

What the hell is going on?

Everyone looks to Skye because the Avengers are all a close knit family, always have been.

‘’Isn’t that?’’

‘’Wanda Maximoff? Yeah, I just don’t understand what she’s doing or why she’s in Jersey’’.

‘’Look I know it’s been a crazy few years on this planet, but he’s dead right?’’

Darcy points to Vision, ‘’not blipped, dead’’.

Skye nods in confirmation, ‘’Thanos killed him, I saw it with my own eyes’’.

Hayward furrows his eyes, ‘’then how are we seeing this right now?’’

‘’I have no idea’’.

One glance at Ward though confirms that he has one, or it’s currently forming in his mind.

‘’When was the last time you saw Wanda?’’

Skye doesn’t even need to think about it, ‘’a funeral’’.

Clint Barton’s to be exact, he sacrificed himself to save the world, Skye still says they don’t deserve it.

Grant puts a hand on her back in comfort and she leans into his touch.

Tyler starts asking questions no one knows how to answer and Skye shoots him a look that says, _‘back the hell down’._ Wisely, he listens.

Woo stares at the TV and says in disbelief, ‘’so you’re saying the universe created a sitcom starring two Avengers?’’

‘’It’s a working theory’’.

Grant pulls her aside, away from prying eyes and mutters, ‘’I think I might know what’s going on’’.

Skye puts her hands on his chest, ‘’me too, you go first’’.

‘’I think Wanda is doing this, I think she built a new reality because she can’t handle Vision’s death’’.

‘’Wow that is so not what I had, yours makes a lot more sense’’.

‘’Grief can drive people to extremes, make them do things they wouldn’t ordinarily, it can drive you mad if you’re not careful’’.

Skye strokes the inside of both his wrists, knowing he very much understands how the loss of a loved one can affect someone, how insane it can really make a person go.

‘’Is she powerful enough to actually do that though?’’

‘’Yeah, shoving my ego aside I’d say she’s the strongest Avenger when she wants to be, creating a brand new reality and locking the rest of the world out wouldn’t surprise me’’.

Ward caresses her cheek, ‘’now the only problem is how to get inside’’.

‘’And how to convince her what’s real and what isn’t’’.

‘’It won’t be easy, especially since all of it was created out of not being able to accept a loss’’.

‘’If anyone can do it it’s me, and if I have to physically break apart that world to make her see, I will’’.

Grant glances over to the TV as a scream on screen sounds, ‘’might be even more difficult now’’.

Skye follows his eyes to find Wanda and Vision holding two babies, she’s on the floor having clearly just given birth.

‘’Son of a bitch’’.

Sadness swims in Skye’s eyes though, both at the reality that Wanda is going to lose her husband indefinitely, but maybe her children too.

Grant knowing where her head is at, takes her into his arms, they’re all too familiar with losing a baby.

After a meeting on deciding what to do, both Shield and SWORD bring in multiple TV’s to watch and take notes as they start building a case, collecting photos and evidence at the things they do know, think up plans on how to infiltrate Westview quietly. Pretty soon they’ve collected boards and boards full of data, photographs, all the info they can as Wanda continues to live in her own reality. Eventually Skye sends an update on what’s going on to the Avengers group chat, Tony, Nat and Banner need to know. 

Skye and Simmons figure out a way to communicate with Wanda by hacking into a radio near her, but it turns out to be a bust and they’re running out of ideas. The night growing dark the rain stopped, Skye walks up to the barrier, her power humming loudly in her palms, the Westview sign trembling slightly as she approaches. Simmons and Woo are at her back, Ward and Fitz in the tent with Darcy and Lincoln, Quake puts one hand up hovering over the blue reality. 

Red sparks immediately dance in between her fingers and this all-consuming strong burst of pure power slams into her own, the two energies clashing and swimming, rebelling against one another in the beat of Skye’s heart, causing sweat to break out on the back of her neck. The ground beneath rumbles and starts to crack, the trees on Skye’s end shake as do the tents and vehicles, Woo shouts a warning but Skye can hardly hear.

There’s a darkness surrounding this place, like Ward suggested, it’s born out of grief more than likely, an impenetrable wall to keep out people who will pop Wanda’s happy bubble full of rainbows and orange sugar, so she doesn’t have to face the reality of the love of her life being dead. Quake can’t exactly blame her, if Ward died and she had the power to create a false reality where they were still happy and in love, she’d do it without a second thought.

With a flex of her fingers she probes it for a weak spot, the vibrations like needles in her skin, and finds none. Quake sends a light ripple through it and is met with an immediate backlash so intense it causes her knees to nearly give out, put she keeps pushing, her powers on low and she can turn it up if needed. There’s a crackle, a small opening in the shield Wanda has created, the barrier cracks just slightly and Skye smirks, she’s hardly using her powers now, if she’s using it at its full strength, she could bring it down.

Living up to her name of course, the _Destroyer of Worlds._ Perhaps this reality knows that and sees her as a threat, or it’s an accident, for whatever reason a rush of energy fills her and before Skye can stop it she’s pulled into this alternate timeline away from her own, her powers spiraling and crashing to defend, to keep her in her own world. But it’s all for naught, because Wanda’s barrier sucks her in a blur of black, a flash of red, then nothing at all. 

The last thing Skye hears is Simmons and Ward yelling her name.


End file.
